About the Book

Design for Policy is the first publication to chart the emergence of collaborative design approaches to innovation in public policy. Drawing on contributions from a range of the world’s leading academics, design practitioners and public managers, it provides a rich, detailed analysis of design as a tool for addressing public problems and capturing opportunities for achieving better and more efficient societal outcomes. In his introduction, Christian Bason suggests that design may offer a fundamental reinvention of the art and craft of policy making for the twenty-first century. From challenging current problem spaces to driving the creative quest for new solutions and shaping the physical and virtual artefacts of policy implementation, design holds a significant yet largely unexplored potential. The book is structured in three main sections, covering the global context of the rise of design for policy, in-depth case studies of the application of design to policy making, and a guide to concrete design tools for policy intent, insight, ideation and implementation. The summary chapter lays out a future agenda for design in government, suggesting how to position design more firmly on the public policy stage. Design for Policy is intended as a resource for leaders and scholars in government departments, public service organizations and institutions, schools of design and public management, think tanks and consultancies that wish to understand and use design as a tool for public sector reform and innovation.

Reviews

'This book masterfully combines cutting-edge research, findings from practice, and real-world examples of how design approaches are being used to improve societal outcomes across the globe. It introduces new avenues for pursuing design-based policies and is an essential resource for anyone exploring social innovation and design processes as a tool for meaningful public sector reform. Christian Bason has successfully delivered a volume that captures the essence of design and social innovation in policy development and offers useful lessons for those faced with the challenge of serving in the twenty-first century.' Jocelyne Bourgon, President, Public Governance International 'Design for Policy is a valuable and fresh insight into policymaking. It underscores the urgent need to bring design to the very heart of modern public policy. Through highly pertinent and illuminating examples from a variety of fields, this book shows that it is possible to transform the policy making process and make it much more innovative. I hope that policymakers across Europe will read it, so that they can become policy designers - and we can shape together the future we aspire to.’ Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner, Research, Innovation & Science ’Can design improve the ways we address such 'super-wicked' challenges as climate change, energy precarity, or public health? It's a big ask, but this highly intelligent book makes a convincing case. Its succinct case studies show the ways that design has become a powerful tool for public administrations around the world. Design for Policy does not over-promise. Its clear and well-balanced texts illustrate the potential but also the limits of design when societal issues are massive, integrated and highly complex - all at the same time. Design, it emerges, is helping to drive transformation in the ways we govern. This important book marks a shift in models of public policymaking: from problem-solving, to envisioning; from service d

About the Author

Christian Bason is Chief Executive of the Danish Design Centre (DDC), which works to strengthen the value of all forms of design in society. Before joining DDC, Christian headed MindLab, a cross-governmental innovation lab, and the public organization practice of Ramboll Management, a consultancy. Christian is also a university lecturer, and has presented to and advised governments around the world. He is a regular columnist and the author of four books on leadership, innovation and design, most recently Leading Public Sector Innovation: Co-creating for a Better Society. Christian holds an M.Sc. in political science from Aarhus University, executive education from Harvard Business School and the Wharton School, and is a doctoral fellow at Copenhagen Business School.

About the Series

Social responsibility, in various disguises, has been a recurring theme in design for many years. Since the 1960s several more or less commercial approaches have evolved. In the 1970s designers were encouraged to abandon 'design for profit' in favour of a more compassionate approach inspired by Papanek. In the 1980s and 1990s profit and ethical issues were no longer considered mutually exclusive and more market-oriented concepts emerged, such as the 'green consumer' and ethical investment. The purchase of socially responsible, 'ethical' products and services has been stimulated by the dissemination of research into sustainability issues in consumer publications. Accessibility and inclusivity have also attracted a great deal of design interest and recently designers have turned to solving social and crime-related problems. Organisations supporting and funding such projects have recently included the NHS (research into design for patient safety); the Home Office has (design against crime); Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (design decision-making for urban sustainability). Businesses are encouraged (and increasingly forced by legislation) to set their own socially responsible agendas that depend on design to be realised. Design decisions all have environmental, social and ethical impacts, so there is a pressing need to provide guidelines for designers and design students within an overarching framework that takes a holistic approach to socially responsible design. This edited series of guides is aimed at students of design, product development, architecture and marketing, and design and management professionals working in the sectors covered by each title. Each volume includes: ¢ The background and history of the topic, its significance in social and commercial contexts and trends in the field. ¢ Exemplar design case studies. ¢ Guidelines for the designer and advice on tools, techniques and resources available.